Speedee represented McDonald's before Ronald McDonald became the chain's better-known advertising figure.
Speedee was a small chef character whose name referred to the restaurant's emphasis on speedy service. The character was connected to the Speedee Service System developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald at their San Bernardino, California, restaurant.
McDonald's used Speedee in early signs, packaging, and advertising. The character helped communicate the restaurant's fast-service identity, but he was gradually displaced as the company built a broader family-oriented brand around Ronald McDonald and other McDonaldland characters.
Speedee is sometimes confused with Ronald McDonald because both are longstanding McDonald's advertising figures. Speedee, however, belongs to the chain's earlier branding era, before the modern clown-centered campaign became dominant.